Two tropical waves heading towards the Caribbean

MIAMI - A tropical wave located about 300 miles southwest of Cabo Verde Islands is producing widespread cloudiness and disorganized shower activity as it heads towards the Caribbean.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for gradual development of this disturbance over the next several days while the system moves westward at about 15 mph, with a 20 percent chance of a tropical cyclone forming during the next five days.

A second tropical wave is forecast to move off of the coast of Africa on Saturday. Slow development of this system is possible while the wave moves generally westward through a marginally favourable environment, also with a 20 percent chance of a tropical cyclone forming during the next five days.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Fiona, the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was moving northwestward over the central tropical Atlantic. A motion between northwest and west-northwest is expected during the next couple of days.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Some slight strengthening is possible during the next day or so, followed by gradual weakening over the weekend.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the centre.

Fiona, or its remnants, could end up somewhere near Bermuda around the middle of next week.